Do i have the jist if this thing? all you have to do is believe you will receive something strong enough and it will happen? I know a bunch of people who truly believe this. it's husterical. I guess those people in haiti did not get a copy. or those starving kids, or other misfortunate people here in the states. I guess they just don't believe strongly enough or have not read the book. i'M sure i will tick people off with this one but is not prayer the same thing? why do people pray for things, even important things like health of loved ones, when if there is a god he or she has neglected all the suffering people in the world. anybody that can provide a possible answer other than the cop-out "it's god's mystery answer?
Well Cornbread that is a good question..and I'm not ticked off at you and I don't think anyone else is..you asked a valid question and one that even I wonder about sometimes..
I can honestly say, though, that God is real in my life. I can say this in spite of Him allowing my brother to pass away due to complications from Down's Syndrome - in the same exact year that Boston won their 16th title - only to have Len Bias pass away...Wow, talk about a RollerCoaster year for me that year.
I had questions for God about why that happened of course..I realized though that my brother is in a better place even though I miss him and tell my sons that they have an uncle in Heaven that they've never met.
And just like God allows some loved ones to pass - He also grants life in miracles..my youngest son had an allergic reaction to some medicine and I had to rush him to the hospital back in early 2006. My wife was at school and didn't even find out about what had happened until she got out of school later that night.
Imagine listening to doctors say "I don't think he's going to make it"?
Well my youngest one in fact did make it and I look at him every day as proof of my faith. I have honestly never prayed for anything that hard in my life, while he was in the emergency room.
One nurse said that he would have neurological damage - well he is advanced in all subjects in Kindergarten and is doing well with his peers to this day, thank God. Sometimes conventional wisdom doesn't add up to what God's plan is.
He always hears our prayers, but He may not always answer them the way we expect, or when we expect it.
You mentioned the Haiti tragedy...yes it was a tragedy, but look at the significant number of people that were found alive in the rubble...people found alive after weeks in rubble..little miracles even in the tragedy.
Sometimes, it's in the smallest events that God lets me know He is in control of things...even if I/we don't always understand it in the midst of the bigger tragedy.
I also recall the time I was coming back to my ship from visiting my parents..I had fallen asleep behind the wheel because it was very late, and all I remember is that I woke up and there wasn't a car around me, except for the police cruiser that was behind me..the cruiser did not have his lights on..it was awfully close and I can only imagine that the officer may have been guiding my car while I was fast asleep. My foot was on the peddle, but barely...needless to say the sight of the cruiser and the fact that I was very fortunate to be alive woke me up for the remainder of my trip.
I waved to the cruiser and continued on to my ship (and some much needed sleep). I thank God for that police officer and his/her actions and just shook my head at His grace in that situation - I was stupid to drive while I was exhausted, but very fortunate in the outcome.
I had been pretty skeptical of law enforcement folks - until that happened.
Even to this day I cannot even begin to understand God's mysteries and why things happen. But I know He is in control and has a reason for everything.
I hope my attempt at an explanation helps.
